Rotary mop



v 3 SheetsSlieet I",

(No Model.)

J. ROURKE.

ROTARY MOP.

No. 397,521. Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. BOURKE.

ROTARY MOP.

No. 397,521. Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

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N. PETERS. Phowumn n her, Washington. 11C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. BOURKE.

ROTARY MOP.

(No Model.)

No. 397,521. Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

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N. PETERS. PhoIo-Umngmphur, Wnbingwm D.c.

NTTED STATES PATENT @rrics.

JOHN BOURKE, ()1? NOR\V.lCl I, (.ONNECTICU T.

ROTARY MOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 897,521, dated February 12, 1889.

Application filed December 12, 1887 Serial No. 257,718. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ROURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Mops, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying three sheets of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of my said device, and liig. 2 a longitudinal section of the same slightly enlarged. Fig. 3 isaninncr side view of one of the end frames with the tractionwheel (I and its gear attached to said frame. Fig. i is a view taken through the clear-water chamber looking toward partition 712. is a detached perspective view of the waterpan A. l. i o is a detached perspective view of the revolving barrel which carries the series of mops. Fig. 7 is a detached view of the gutter used to conduct dirty water into the receptacle provided for the same. Fig. 8 a cross-section of the dirtywater pan looking toward the pb'irtition that separates said pan from the clean-water chamber. Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the valve \Yl'llCll controls the outflow of clean water. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the water-pan A on line 2, Fig. i, hiioking toward partition 71 My invention consists of a mechanical device for sprinkling and mopping floors, tiling, and like surfaces, and has for its object the production of a portable machine of moderate cost which may be used on bare floors to perform the work of both a broom and mop. Said device also sprinkles the floor inadvanec of the mops and wrings out the dirty water as said mops rotate, the construction and opera tion of said machine being described in detail hereinafter.

The general principle of my device is that of a rotary drum carrying aseries of mop-cloths, said drum being kept in motion by a train of gearing operated by traction-wheels in sub stantially the manner common to rotary lawnmowers. \Vithin this drum. is another drum or cylindrical vessel concentric with the first, but non-rotatable. This latter drum I term my water-pan. Adjacent to the revolving (outer) drum is a roller, under which the mops water in front of the mops, as I have described more fully hereinafter.

Referring to the annexed drawin theletters to (1 indicate the main frames of my device, having angle-arms c which approach each other in the rear of the mopping mechanism and support an operating-handle, a

Z) 1) indicate cylinder-heads, having formed on their outer faces gears c c, and connected by sheet-metal strips located in a practical machine about two inches apart Pro: jecting outward from gears c c are hollow bearings (-7 adapted to enter recesses c in the main frames 0 a and to rotate freely therein. Journaled to the inner-lower side of said main frames are traction-wheels (I (7/, formed with gears d, which engage and transmit motion to the cylinder-heads b b, above described.

Extending from one of said cylinder-heads to its compai'iion are wires c, on which are hung mop-cloths 6, formed, preferably, of sections of stockinet or similar soft textile goods. When in use, these mopcloths are rapidly carried around with the cylinder just described, and wipe the floor as they are carried Linden neath said cylinder. Immediately over said revolvingcylinder is a rolhf, journaled in the frames a c and covered with a jacket of rubber f. This roller is adjustable vertically, being controlled by adjusting-screws g. As the mop-cloths pass beneath said roller, they are squec ed between said roller and the sheet metal strlps Z) to remove a portion of the dirty water contained therein.

\Vithin the revolving cylinder above described and concentric therewith is another smaller cylinder or circular pan, A, which is suspended fixedly by a shaft, 71, which extends outward through the hollow bearings c and through the main frames a a, being held in place by nuts 7L, screwed tightly onto the ends of said shaft. (See Fig. GylinderA is secured to said shaft 71, preferably by soldering. A partition, 71 divides said fixed cylder A into two compartments, one of which (the right-hand one, as here shown) is pro vided to receive the dirty water wrung from the mop-cloths by roller f, and the companion chamber is used as areservoir for clean water with which to sprinkle the floor and mops. The lower portion of cylinder A is partitioned off to form a separate chamber, 2', which extends from end to end of said cylinder, and has a series of openings, '6, leading outward and downward therefrom. The chamber or sprinkler thus provided is connected with the clean -water reservoir by a peculiar valve, which is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

it indicates a metal plate attached by rivet to the partition. 72 and having secured thereto an operatinghamlle, In, which extends upward within reach of the operator and by which the valve-plate 7- may be swung on its pivot. On the inner side of said plate is a packing, k of soft material-as rubber orl leather'which moves with said plate is, and

is provided with a slot, 7c. In the partition 71 are two holes, on n, the former of which leads from the clean-water reservoir into the dirty-water chamber, and the latter, 11, leads from said dirty-water chamber into the sprinkling-chamber 2'. The valve k is so pivoted that its rubber packing may cover both holes m n, or may be swung on its pivot to bring the slot 7c over said holes, in which latter case a continuous opening is provided be tween the clean water reservoir and the sprinkling-chamber 'i that is to say, the water passes through hole on into and along slot k until it finds an exit through hole n. into said sprinkling-chamber. \Vhen it is not desired to use said sprinkling-chamber, the raising of the operating-handle it" acts to move and close the valve and thus shut off the outflow of clean water.

To prevent the dirty water from flowing into the clean-water chamber as it is wrung from the mops, I provnle a removable gutter or conductor, 0, formed with sufficient pitch to lead the water toward the dirty-water chamber. This comluctor o slips under a sheetmetal bar, p, extending across and over said I clean'water chamber, and, when in position, 5

forms both a cover for said clean-water chamber and a conductor for the purpose named.

I have found in Jractice a tendenc on the part of the wet mop-cloths to adhere to the sections 11 of the revolving cylinder instead of dropping freely to the fioor as they pass around from the w ringer, and to overcome this difficulty I provide wires '2 extending from one cylil'lder-head, I), to its companion head,

so located that the free portion of the mopcloths may rest thereon as they pass upward to the wringer. These wires, after the cloths pass said wringer, act to raise slightly the damp cloths from contact with the sheetmetal sections 11 and by thus admitting air under said cloths overcome the said tendency to adhere.

Assuming that the. clean-water reservoir is filled and ready for use, the action of my device is as follows: The operator presses down the valve-rod k and starts the flow of clean water through the openings 2'. Now, as he pushes the machine forward along the floor, the traction-wheels cl cl and their attached gears cause the outer cylinder to rotate and carry around with it the mop-cloths e, which drag along the floor during a part of each revolution and wipe up the dirt and dust in their path. Meanwhile the clean water trickles down upon said revolving mops and upon the floor. As the mops gather up the water and dirt they pass upward under roll f, when a considerable part of the water is squeezed out and runs down into the dirty-water chamber, from which it may be poured by inverting the machine.

Iclaim as my invention and wish to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In combination with the supportingframes a a, traction-wheels journaled thereto, a cylinder rotatably journaled in said frames and connected with said traction-wheels by gears, as set forth, a series of mop-cloths carried by said cylinder, a wringer-roll journ aled in said frames in the path of said mop-cloths, and a water-receptacle within said cylinder, said receptacle being fixedly supported by a shaft extending outward through frames at a and secured by nuts at each end, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with frames at a, traction-wheels journaled thereto, a cylinder rotatably journaled in said frames and connected with said traction-wheels by gears,-as set forth, a series of mop-cloths carried by said cylinder, a wringer-roll journaled in said frames in the path of said mop-cloths, a fixed water-receptacle supported within said rotat able cylinder by a shaft extending outward through frames a a, said fixed receptacle being divided by lateral and longitudinal partitions into three compartments, the lowest of which is perforated to discharge the water,

as set forth, said discharge-compartment being connected with one of the adjacent compartments by a valve formed of a pivoted plate having a slot, as at h, that may be brought into coincidence with openings leading from one of the upper or storage compartments to said lower or discharge compartment, all being substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN BOURKE.

Witnesses:

FRANK I-I. ALLEN, ALLEN TENNY. 

